"Hey, you!" Pan Tian said as she rushed over to Jie outside the arena and gave her a giant hug. Jie's eyes went wide and she froze like a deer in headlights.

"Hello," Jie said stiffly.

Pan Tian released her. "Jeez! You'd think you'd never been hugged before! Aren't we friends?" she said.

"I'm just... not used to it," Jie said, "Don't worry about it."

Pan Tian frowned. "Must you always be so mysterious?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Jie asked.

"Jeez! You're the worst! But, wow what a good fight. I've never seen you move like that before! And you're so much stronger! You're leaving me in the dust!" Pan Tian said.

Jie looked over her friend. "You look well. I'm glad. Are you fully recovered?" she asked.

"Yes! The healers fixed me right up! I'm glad you didn't get disqualified," Pan Tian said.

"Me too," Jie said, "I'd like to meet Chen Huo in the tournament. I owe him for hurting my friend."

Pan Tian shivered. "When you talk like that... sometimes I forget you're younger than me. Are you secretly a body snatcher or something?"

"A body snatcher?" Jie asked.

"It's a myth," Pan Zhanshi said as he walked over behind his exuberant sister, "Don't let her worry you about it. And... for what it's worth... I'm glad you didn't get disqualified either. Some in our family are angry with you... but I'm... glad. Do you really think you can beat Chen Huo though?"

"Well, I have a few days to train before the next round," Jie said, "It gives me time to improve."

"A few days... I'd laugh, but you cultivate freakishly fast," Pan Zhanshi said, "Just... be careful. I don't want to see him hurt you too."

"Oh, I won't let that happen," Jie said.

Pan Zhanshi shivered. "I'm just glad you're not talking about me like that... we're good right?" he asked.

Jie thought for a moment. "We are. I was mad at you before... but I get this place has some strange rules. Maybe what I did was wrong considering what I know now... but regardless... I'll take out my frustration on Chen Huo," she said.

Pan Zhanshi nodded. "Where are you from?" he asked.

"As though she'll answer that," Pan Tian said, "sounds like some kind of paradise if she gets so upset about things. You can't let people know about that. They'll go ruin it."

"No..." Jie said, "It's not a paradise. It's... not that different really."

"Oh? What's it like then?" Pan Tian said. Her eyes were huge and Jie felt overwhelmed. How much could she say? Would it not be more suspicious to say nothing and always avoid the issue? If only Ming was here... he always knew what to do.

"Uh... well... it's kind of..." Jie said, "you see... where I come from, people are generally about as strong as one another. No one person can take on many others at the same time."

"Wow! Are you all experts there then?" Pan Tian said, "That must be nice!"

"Um... something like that," Jie said, "but no it isn't nice. Personal strength is... less important? So, the masses dictate everything. No matter where you go... it's kind of oppressive. You'll never have the freedom of strength there. Not really."

"Wow..." Pan Tian said, "that... sounds awful. But, if it's so bad why are you constantly shocked about things?"

"I'm... not sure. I still have a lot to get used to in this new... place," Jie said.

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"Give her a break, sis. She's just got some culture shock," Pan Zhanshi said.

"Something like that," Jie said.

"Bah! She's always so mysterious! I'll not let go of this chance to learn!" Pan Tian said, "So is that why you left where you were? So you could be strong somewhere else? You're so strong I bet you'll be an esteemed expert in no time!"

"No... that's not why I left. My master found me and took me on. I owe him a lot. I'll make him proud," Jie said.

"Jeez! That's not a proper answer!" Pan Tian said, "Who is your master? What are they like? Why are you here if you have a powerful expert teaching you?"

Jie held up her hands. "That's too much," she said, "maybe I'll tell you. Some day. Not now. I hope that's okay?"

Pan Tian folded her arms and looked away. "And I thought we were friends," she said with a sniff.

"I..." Jie said.

Pan Tian turned back to her and smiled brightly. "Gosh! You need to relax! I was kidding! So, want to go celebrate your victory today?" she asked.

"No," Jie said, "I've spent enough time. I must return to my training."

Pan Tian frowned. "Do you do anything but train?" she asked.

"What else is there to do?" Jie asked, "Bye for now."

As Jie walked away from the Pan siblings, she suddenly realized she'd not asked how they were doing in the tournament, what they were doing at the arena, or wished them luck with any matches they might have. She didn't even know if either of them were still in the tournament and it hadn't occurred to her to ask.

She looked behind her as she realized this, but they were both gone now. Jie silently berated herself as she walked back to Elder Shi to resume her training.

***

Jie trained hard over the next few days and cultivated like a maniac. She increased her strength further and greatly increased her understanding of her martial skills, but the days flew by and the next round of the tournament began far too soon for Jie's taste.

She rushed up to the board that showed the new matches. It was time for the semifinals. This time Chen Huo was faced against Pan Zhanshi. Jie swallowed hard. She was fighting someone called Ithilix. No other name or clan identity or anything. But, Jie's attention immediately returned to Chen Huo and Pan Zhanshi. Pan Tian's brother was about as strong as she was...

Hopefully, Pan Zhanshi would forfeit quickly... but they had all those stupid customs...

Jie gritted her teeth. Why wouldn't they just pair her with Chen Huo already? How many more people would he be allowed to hurt? How many of her friends?

Jie entered the arena and took a seat on the bench near the main stage. Jie looked to the stands as she scanned the Pan family. She caught Pan Tian's eyes. There was fear in them.

Jie fidgeted for a moment before returning to cultivating. It always helped her calm down. And she wanted as much strength as she could get. Chen Huo shouldn't be allowed to kill her friends. Maybe she could stand by this time... hopefully Pan Zhanshi would forfeit or maybe pull out some kind of trump card.

Jie's qi gathered and swirled even more chaotically than before as she cultivated. The knot in her stomach, the fear, and the burning rage and frustration added to the storm and improved her cultivation significantly.

With each new sliver of dragon lightning qi she cultivated, Jie felt herself changing somehow... it wasn't much. So slight that she barely noticed it, and she wasn't even sure how she was changing exactly... maybe it was just her imagination?

She wanted to rip out Chen Huo's throat though. Was that wrong? People on Earth would say yes. But people here? They'd probably just think she was foolish for getting herself disqualified and possibly expelled. Would it be worth it?

No. Ming was counting on her. And she wasn't ready to kill anyway... she knew that. Deep down. But he would suffer. He had to.

"Pan Zhanshi and Chen Huo!" bellowed the judge. The very same one as usual. Jie ground her teeth. That one had to pay too. He was an elder though. His power far outstripped hers. For now.

Jie tried to cultivate, to take her mind off what was going to happen on the stage, but she couldn't. It was too distracting. She had to see. She had to know. She watched the stage like a hawk.

Pan Zhanshi and Chen Huo both leaped up onto the stage and took opposite positions. Pan Zhanshi gave a respectful bow, though Jie saw the tension in his jaw and the hate burning in his eyes.

Chen Huo just smirked, one hand resting on the pommel of the long, curved sword sheathed at his hip. His gold and white armor glinted in the noonday sun as he looked down his nose at Pan Zhanshi.

A murmur rippled through the crowd at Chen Huo's rudeness. Many defended him though. After all, Chen Huo was known to be stronger. Why should he show respect to the one beneath him?

"Please just forfeit... just do it... who cares about face?" Jie muttered under her breath. Those sitting beside her, and a few in the crowd turned their eyes on Jie. A few smiled, others looked solemn, and one looked smug. The smug one sat among the rest of the Chen family, and from the way people acted around him, he had to be someone important.

Jie met his gaze, unflinching. His smirk fell and he released a bit of his aura, but it was restrained and far weaker than Ming's. It could only intimidate her if she let it. He could kill her easily. Perhaps just with his aura alone. But clearly, he wasn't willing to do so here and now for her sake.

Jie looked at him, utterly unimpressed. How pathetic to try to bully children. She turned her head away dismissively. She felt a ripple run through his aura. Oh? He was probably angry. It was foolish of her to antagonize someone so much stronger than her... perhaps about as strong as Headmaster Siluvius. But she couldn't help herself.

People like him brought out the worst in her.